Bobby Parnell

[Centerfield]

One day major league teams will realize that having a 100 mph fastball does not automatically make a pitcher a candidate to close games.

The guy has one pitch. It's not going to work.

[seawolf17]

Yeah, how were his college numbers, anyway? I feel like we should have seen this coming.

[metirish]

Doesn't he throw a slider at times?

He needs work no doubt, too many walks.

[Ceetar]

he pitched real good last year, he pitched real good for a month preceding this last bit of struggle.

Someone remarked on Twitter that the slider should've annihiliated Cameron..and then Parnell didn't throw it. Obviously I'm not treating one tweet as fact, even if the guy's a pitch f/x geek, but there might be something to it.

He's had plenty of bouts of success too. I dunno, at this point you gotta keep throwing him out there anyway. It's such a small sample size to judge in terms of actual saves anyway, but you'd like to have confidence next season that he can save 9/10 with regularity.

The walks are the big thing. Identify why. not mixing pitches? overthrowing? poor scouting? I think replacing Warthen could help, but who knows.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ceetar wrote: I think replacing Warthen could help, but who knows.

That's your answer for everything, isn't it?

Me, I think the solution would be to give tax cuts to billionaires.

[Frayed Knot]

metirish wrote: Doesn't he throw a slider at times?

Yes, just not consistently a good one.
It either misses a lot (results = walks) or it misses enough to allow hitters to just sit on the fastball (results = hits) or it's in the strike zone but not breaking very sharply (results = hits).

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Ceetar wrote: I think replacing Warthen could help, but who knows. That's your answer for everything, isn't it? Me, I think the solution would be to give tax cuts to billionaires.

I haven't brought it up in weeks.

but it would help.

[seawolf17]

Note to self: Become a billionaire so I can get a tax cut.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I don't want him closing games either, but I'm certain he's going to be real good sooner or later. Maybe that won't be worth the bumps along the way. Maybe it won't even be that long. But he will be a real weapon for somebody.

Having a triple-digit heater doesn't make you automatically anything, but it means you need less of other stuff than some other guys. We'll see. He's not going anywhere before the end of the season.

[Centerfield]

How can you be sure? Kane Davis never became effective. I'm more impressed with relievers who have two plus pitches they can throw for strikes than I am 100 mph heat.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, I'm not 100% sure, but reasonably sure.

Relieving has few enough elements, and opportunity for exposure, that with almost anybody blessed with major league tools and a modest amount of health, most of them figure it out for a little while. Aaron Heilman, Duaner Sanchez, Carlos Diaz, Juan Berenguer, Dan Wheeler, Heath Bell. The context of their performance is narrowed as a reliever, and if it gets narrow enough, they'll find a specific context in which their bullshit will sell.

You know, as long as they're not 100% bullshit. And I'm convince Parnell isn't. The rest is figuring out if he's worth the bumpy ride. And I guess that's one thing also-ran teams use September for. Jorge Julio was a decade long ride for his employers. But even he put it all together long enough for the Mets to flip him in a good trade.

(It also helps if your pitcher isn't a murderer.)

[metirish]

dam Rubin
Collins will use different closer Wednesday. Not abandoning Parnell, but will mix and match a little. Acosta today because Izzy unavailable.

[seawolf17]

Edgy DC wrote: (It also helps if your pitcher isn't a murderer.)

[Guest Edgy DC]

I was thinking of this guy:

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Damn, those Latino relievers are crazy.

[seawolf17]

Rockin' Doc wrote: Damn, those Latino relievers are crazy.

"What? What did I do?"

[Guest attgig]

Parnell needs to be thrown in the 9th inning over and over again. it's true. as painful as it is. he needs it. Dunno if Warthen is helping or not, but I'd think Izzy could help him too.... what happened to that 'mentoring' role izzy was supposed to take?

[soupcan]

metirish wrote: dam Rubin Collins will use different closer Wednesday. Not abandoning Parnell, but will mix and match a little. Acosta today because Izzy unavailable.

Yeah , really, screw Rubin. What's he know anyway?

[MFS62]

attgig wrote: Parnell needs to be thrown in the 9th inning over and over again. it's true. as painful as it is. he needs it.

And I would need to be under constant medical supervision.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

I disagree. I don't see any downside to giving Beato and Acosta featured work if they show themselves more capable of it. The challenge of the ninth inning may be a cauldron of growth. But so is the challenge of internal competition.

[smg58]

Edgy DC wrote: I don't want him closing games either, but I'm certain he's going to be real good sooner or later. Maybe that won't be worth the bumps along the way. Maybe it won't even be that long. But he will be a real weapon for somebody. Having a triple-digit heater doesn't make you automatically anything, but it means you need less of other stuff than some other guys. We'll see. He's not going anywhere before the end of the season.

Parnell isn't going anywhere this offseason either -- the Mets have four open spots in the pen by my reckoning as it is, so why add one more? Acosta shouldn't go anywhere either, though, for the same reason. My personal feeling is that if you were willing to give Parnell the shot to close in the first place, you should give him the shot to fight his way through some initial adversity. But I'm certainly not disputing that Acosta is pitching better right now, and I'd feel differently if we were contending.

Parnell obviously has upside, as a 100+ fastball and an effective offspeed pitch would be a devastating combination. The effective offspeed pitch hasn't arrived yet, but Parnell is still young and cheap. (Spending the first half of 2010 in Buffalo keeps him from being arb eligible, so one good thing came out of the Mejia in the pen experiment.)

The Mets are trying to see if the 2012 closer is already wearing a Mets uniform. I think the answer is no, but I totally understand trying to find out for sure. The answer will obviously affect how we spend our resources in the offseason.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm hoping the answer is yes. I'd hate to see them go out and spend $10 million or so on a closer. Let Acosta, Parnell, Stinson, and whoever else comes along cheaply battle it out in spring training and, if need be, in April and May and June...

[Lefty Specialist]

Yes. 2012 is not a true contending year. As they say in Gymboree, it's 'time to shake the sillies out'.

Let them all battle to see who should be the closer next year and beyond. As for now, I'd give Acosta a few more shots to light a fire under Parnell's ass.

[Centerfield]

...look to trade for a guy who punches in-laws and/or murders people.

[metirish]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Yes. 2012 is not a true contending year. As they say in Gymboree, it's 'time to shake the sillies out'. Let them all battle to see who should be the closer next year and beyond. As for now, I'd give Acosta a few more shots to light a fire under Parnell's ass.

Hold it there, this is NY , never admit to not being a contender the following year, we're New Yokers for fecks sake.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, I never understand why it has to be one or the other. All years, in my mind, are rebuilding years. All years are go-for-it years, also. There're 25 roster spots on the roster and 162 games.

[Lefty Specialist]

metirish wrote: Lefty Specialist wrote: Yes. 2012 is not a true contending year. As they say in Gymboree, it's 'time to shake the sillies out'. Let them all battle to see who should be the closer next year and beyond. As for now, I'd give Acosta a few more shots to light a fire under Parnell's ass. Hold it there, this is NY , never admit to not being a contender the following year, we're New Yokers for fecks sake.

Well, they're not going to come out and say it, but we all know it to be true.

[Ceetar]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Lefty Specialist wrote: Yes. 2012 is not a true contending year. As they say in Gymboree, it's 'time to shake the sillies out'. Let them all battle to see who should be the closer next year and beyond. As for now, I'd give Acosta a few more shots to light a fire under Parnell's ass. Hold it there, this is NY , never admit to not being a contender the following year, we're New Yokers for fecks sake. Well, they're not going to come out and say it, but we all know it to be true.

it's not true though.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'll probably be willing to write off 2012 well before Ceetar will be, but I'm not there yet. Let's first see what kind of offseason they have.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'll probably be willing to write off 2012 well before Ceetar will be, but I'm not there yet. Let's first see what kind of offseason they have.

I refuse to write off any team before May 1st.